“The problem is that although austerity may work for individuals, it seldom works for economies. To the contrary, frequently it makes matters worse. If all individuals tighten their belts, demand for goods and services will fall, workers will be fired, and demand will fall even more. Business won’t invest without growing sales: this was Keynes’s […]
The Austerity Myth Read More »
When I make tea, I drain the kettle, fill the mug I’m going to use, and pour the water from the mug into kettle. That way I am boiling exactly the correct quantity of water, saving both energy and time.
Crazy Environmental Effort #1: Heating Only As Much As I Need Read More »
I’ve been listening on my cycling commutes to Walter Isaacson’s fascinating biography of Steve Jobs. As a Mac user since the early days, with only minor detours to the PC side when I didn’t have the means to afford a Mac, I’m enjoying the backstory behind some of the products I’ve used and loved (and
Consumer Reports Vindicates Steve Jobs Read More »
This morning I listened to This American Life’s episode #478: Red State Blue State about rifts in families and friendships caused by clashing politics. On it, we heard from a Republican woman who cannot fathom her friend’s Democratic views because, to paraphrase, “she’s not selfish, but liberals are selfish.” This is standard rightwing fodder, the
Cons Say: “Liberals Are Selfish” Read More »
A recent Freakonomics podcast explained that economists do not vote, because, according to Steve Levitt, “there never has been, and there never will be, a vote cast in a presidential election that could possibly be decisive.” He’s wrong. Think of voting like “pushing a whale.” A whale* washes up on a beach. The townspeople collect,
Voting, or, Pushing a Whale Read More »
I walked up to the door of my house – occupied by my wife, who has been inside all day – to find this notice from Canada Post: Yes, she was home at 2:30*. Did someone knock on the door or ring the doorbell? Nope. This is hardly the first time a Canada Post driver
A Plea to Canada Post: Please Give at Least the Illusion of Caring Read More »
According to the Costs of War project, which continues to assess the cost of the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts in the wake of the 9-11 attacks, the death toll attributable to direct violence from these wars currently stands at 300,000. The death toll from the 9-11 attacks was approximately 3000. This would put the “revenge
We are not going to destroy the Earth, but we are going to destroy our way of life. This is how the end begins. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIZTMVNBjc4]
Our Planet, Literally Falling Apart Read More »
I’m catching up on Freakonomics podcasts, and was just listening to the first of two parts on the plague of phoney college degrees, with the chilling statistic that in the U.S. alone about 13,000 fake degrees are purchased each year, many which appear to be from legitimate institutions. There’s a simple solution – serial numbers:
Phoney Degrees and Diplomas: Serial Numbers Could Conquer Dilemma Read More »
A picture on display at the Canadian Film Centre gets some treatment from…er…an anonymous employee. Norman Jewison coaches Clint Eastwood on the purpose of furniture. Clint is happy he got it all figured out.
Norman Educates Clint Read More »